DEVELOPING A COMPREHENSIVE RIOR LEARNING ASSESSMENT … · 2019-04-08 · DEVELOPING A COMPREHENSIVE PRIOR LEARNING ASSESSMENT (PLA) POLICY Dr. Darlene G. Miller, Executive Director

DEVELOPING A COMPREHENSIVE PRIOR

LEARNING ASSESSMENT (PLA) POLICY

Dr. Darlene G. Miller, Executive Director

National Council for Workforce Education

Dr. Rebecca Nickoli, NCWE Consultant

Retired – Ivy Tech Community College

Workshop Agenda

▪ Overview of Prior Learning Assessment (PLA)

▪ PLA and Accreditation

▪ Components of an effective PLA policy

▪ PLA and Transparency

▪ Role of Faculty, Chief Academic Officer and Registrar

Darlene

Workshop Agenda

▪ Ways to Award PLA

• Standardized Exams

• Military Credit

• Portfolio

• Proficiency Exams or Challenge Exams

• Professional Certifications/Industry Credentials

▪ Developing policies, procedures, and processes

▪ Learning outcomes, assessment and challenge exams

What is PLA?

▪ Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) is a process that enables learners to demonstrate what they have learned and translate that learning into college credit.

▪ PLA validates knowledge acquired through life experience, work experience, military experience, civic engagement, individual study and reading, and participation in classes or training sponsored by business and industry, professional organizations or government agencies.

▪ Credit is awarded for college-level knowledge gained from experience and not for the experience itself.

PLA and College Level Learning

▪ College-level learning is validated through PLA when learners prove their mastery of the knowledge, skills, competencies, and abilities in a specific area of study offered by the college.

▪ Each college must have policies and procedures in place to validate college-level knowledge acquired through experiential learning that are aligned with state policy and regional accreditation standards.

PLA as an Acceleration and Completion Strategy

▪ 2010 Council on Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) study of 62,000 students across 48 states found that students who received PLA credit had higher completion rates and lower time to degree than students who did not get PLA credit

▪ Adults were 2.5 times more likely to persist to completion

▪ PLA also saves time and money towards earning a degree!

Components of Effective PLA

Policies and Practices - Faculty

▪ Faculty is responsible for the academic integrity of the curriculum. Thus, the determination of credit awards or competency levels must be made by faculty or a subject matter expert whose experience and credentials are appropriate to a faculty position.

▪ Academic credit must only be awarded for those courses directly applicable to curriculum requirements in the student’s declared certificate or degree program as outlined in college publications (including website).

Southern Association, PLA

and the Faculty

Resource Manual for the 2018 Principles of Accreditation: Foundations for Quality Enhancement -#10.4

“The institution (a) publishes and implements policies on the

authority of faculty in academic and governance matters, (b)

demonstrates that educational programs for which academic

credit is awarded are approved consistent with institutional

policy, and (c) places primary responsibility for the content,

quality, and effectiveness of the curriculum with its faculty.”

Southern Association, PLA

and the Faculty


“Institutional policies concerning the role of faculty in

academic matters should make clear that the faculty has

primary responsibility for the content, quality, and effectiveness

of the curriculum.”


Policies and Practices - Assessment

▪ Assessment must be directly related to the publicized learning outcomes for the course being challenged

▪ All work assessed for PLA must meet a minimum of ”C” level proficiency for all of the course learning outcomes and/or technical competencies. This “C” level must be determined by the faculty to maintain academic integrity and rigor.▪ Cannot be arbitrary and say a C is 70% to pass the class, but for a

challenge exam, a C is defined as 75%


Policies and Practices - Credits

▪ PLA credits must not be treated differently in their application and use than their course equivalencies. PLA credits satisfy prerequisite requirements in the same manner that their course equivalencies do at the institution.

Southern Association

and PLA


“The institution publishes policies for evaluating, awarding, and

accepting credit not originating from the institution. The institution

ensures (a) the academic quality of any credit or coursework recorded

on its transcript, (b) an approval process with oversight by persons

academically qualified to make the necessary judgments, and (c) the

credit awarded is comparable to a designated credit experience and

is consistent with the institution’s mission.”


Policies and Practices - Residency

▪ Colleges must choose to set a limit of credits earned through PLA at a standard equivalent to or higher than your accrediting agency.

▪ PLA policy must coincide with the college’s residency requirement.

▪ Students requesting PLA should be enrolled in a specific degree or certificate program at the college.

Southern Association

and PLA

Resource Manual for the 2018 Principles of Accreditation: Foundations for Quality Enhancement - #9.4

“At least 25 percent of the credit hours required for an

undergraduate degree are earned through instruction

offered by the institution awarding the degree.”

Components of Effective PLA Policies

and Practices - Documentation

▪ All documentation, including portfolio materials submitted for evaluation, challenge examinations, and or other materials utilized in the PLA process become property of, and are maintained by, the college. It is a part of the student’s academic record.

PLA and Transparency

Student learning transparency is a core value of accreditation, thus every effort must be made to ensure transparency in the PLA process.

PLA and Transparency

▪ Policies, procedures, practices, and criteria for assessment, should be fully disclosed and widely available.

▪ All printed and electronic materials associated with the college’s PLA processes must be readily available

▪ The college needs to make visible and accessible the appeal process of a PLA assessment decision. This process needs to follow the college’s standard formal appeal process.

Role of the Faculty

▪ Faculty is responsible for the academic integrity of the curriculum!

▪ The determination of credit awards or competency levels must be made by faculty or a subject matter expert whose experience and credentials are appropriate to a faculty position.

▪ If a challenge exam is administered by someone at the college other than a faculty member, the faculty must play a role in assessing the exam or providing the assessment criteria.

Role of the Faculty

▪ The assessment must be developed by the faculty or the subject matter expert.

▪ The level of competency must be determined by the faculty.

▪ The assessments must be directly related to the course identified and the publicized learning outcomes

Role of the Chief

Academic Officer

▪ The Chief Academic Officer is responsible for ensuring the academic integrity of the curriculum▪ The CAO must ensure that the assessments are directly related to

the course identified and publicized learning outcomes

▪ The CAO must ensure that the college policy and practices are followed

▪ The CAO must also work with the faculty to ensure that the assessments and assessment criteria are not “over inflated” by the faculty

▪ If a challenge exam is administered by someone at the college other than a faculty member, the CAO is responsible for ensuring the integrity of the process and that all policies are followed.

Role of the Registrar

▪ The College Registrar plays a critical role in PLA given his/her responsibility to a) maintain college records and b) oversee the transcription processes and procedures.

▪ He/she must be the gatekeeper ensuring compliance with policies and procedures and in ensuring the integrity of all academic records.


▪ The Registrar or their designee should be the first point of contact when a student officially begins the PLA process to ensure:

▪ that the student is enrolled in the academic program for which he/she are requesting PLA,

▪ that the student meets the residency requirements,

▪ and that the number of credits requested for PLA does exceed the college limit as set forth in policy.


▪ The Registrar’s Office must maintain all documentation because such documentation is part of the student’s academic record.

Ways to Award PLA

▪ CLEP, DSST, IB, AP

▪ Military Transcripts

▪ Portfolio

▪ Challenge Exams

▪ Professional Certifications

Becky

CLEP, DSST, IB, and AP

▪ Standardized examinations that test knowledge in both lower- and upper-level college material.

▪ The awarding of credit should be based on two criteria:

▪ Standard scores recommended by the Commission on Educational Credit for the American Council of Education

▪ Minimum test score achievement as determined by the faculty

Portfolio Assessment

▪ A PLA portfolio is a detailed documentation illustrating college-level learning. The documentation varies by course and may include:▪ examples of documents developed or materials made (like

a machined part) at work or during a community or professional project

▪ a self-assessment, an essay or oral interview explaining knowledge and experience, awards and honors, and certifications showing completion of workshops or seminars offered by professional organizations, business and industry or government agencies.


▪ Preparation and content of the portfolio are the responsibility of the student and must be of sufficient in breadth and depth to validate the student’s stated learning and provide the evaluator(s) with qualitative evidence for evaluation


▪ The portfolio must be evaluated by designated faculty member or a college designated Portfolio Assessment Team to determine if the student has submitted sufficient documentation.

▪ Best practices in portfolio assessment typically utilize a rubric or matrix that includes: identification of course learning outcomes, techniques for assessing each learning outcome, and a scoring technique for validating mastery.

Military Credit

▪ The American Council for Education’s (ACE) Military Guide presents ACE recommendations for formal courses and occupations offered by all branches of the military.

http://www.acenet.edu/higher-education/topics/Pages/College-Credit-for-Military-Service.aspx

▪ All recommendations are based on ACE reviews conducted by college and university faculty members who are actively teaching in the areas they review.

Military Credit

▪ The Joint Services Transcript (JST) is for Army, Navy, Marine, and Coast Guard members. Institutional accounts can be set up at:▪ https://jst.doded.mil/smart/signIn.do.

▪ Credit awarded at the Community College of the Air Force (CCAF), transfer credit should be awarded just like transfer credit awarded at any other accredited institution. Official Air Force (CCAF) transcripts can be requested from:▪ http://www.au.af.mil/au/barnes/ccaf/transcri

pts.asp.

Military Credit

Crosswalk Example

JSSTMILITARY

COURSE ID

ACE IDENTIFIER

COURSE TITLE

TRAINING

IDENTIFIER

ACE CREDITS

EQUIVALENT COLLEGECOURSE

CREDITS

AWARDED

25U30

MOS-25U-001 Computer Technology Repair

3 SH

Industry Certification

Crosswalks

▪ To challenge a course based on having earned a professional certificate, the student must provide the college with the appropriate documentation to validate the industry certification.

▪ Colleges that utilize professional certifications as an assessment tool in courses should create a Certification Crosswalk.

Industry Certification

Concerns

▪ In some cases, faculty may believe that a professional certification exam only proves mastery of course cognitive learning outcomes▪ If the professional certification is a paper examination and the

course requires hands-on skill development, then college may require that students complete a practical challenge examination in tandem with the professional certification crosswalk.

▪ Faculty may wish to place a time limit on the certification▪ May utilize the method that vendors use to sunset a certification or

go to a new version

▪ Exercise some discretion if the individual is working in the field and utilizing the skills acquired through the certification

Crosswalk Example

Bossier Parish Community College

EQUIVALENT BPCC COURSE CLEP Exam Hours

ACCT 205 Elementary Accounting I Financial Accounting 3

EQUIVALENT BPCC COURSE DSST (DANTES) Exam Hours

BADM 105 General Business Administration Introduction to Business 3

EQUIVALENT BPCC COURSE National Information Technology (IT)

Certificates

Hours

CIT 114 Microsoft Windows

72-680 TS: Windows 7, Configuring

OR

72-620 TS: Configuring Microsoft Windows

Vista Client

3

Crosswalk Example

Ivy Tech

Challenge Exams

(Proficiency Exams)


▪ Exams can be written and/or practical▪ Written exam first

▪ Practical exam after passing written exam

▪ Practical exam alone if student has achieved an industry certification that is based on a written exam

Challenge Exams

Assessment

▪ The assessment must be developed by the faculty or the subject matter expert.

▪ The level of competency must be determined by the faculty (college-level learning)

▪ The assessments must be directly related to the course identified and the publicized learning outcomes.

Transcripting PLA

▪ Best practices recommend that the college determines methods to award a letter grade for PLA credit.

▪ Best practices also recommend that PLA courses not be designated on the transcript as being “nontraditional credit.” Doing so raises a red flag for employers and for receiving institutions, if a student needs to transfer.

Transcripting PLA

Awarding a Grade

▪ Develop a matrix or rubric that clearly identifies the learning outcomes and techniques for assessing mastery at the 100, 90, 80, and 70% levels.▪ Course X has 12 identified learning outcomes

▪ Faculty rank outcomes by level of importance

▪ Develop a challenge exam based on learning outcomes and ranking

▪ If the student takes the challenge exam or submits a portfolio that shows a mastery of nine of those learning outcomes, this translates to 82% mastery and a letter grade of a “B”

Challenge Exams, Learning

Outcomes, and Assessment

Darlene

Challenge Exams

▪ Exams can be written and/or practical▪ Written exam first

▪ Practical exam after passing written exam

▪ Practical exam alone if student has achieved an industry certification that is based on a written exam


Course Learning Outcomes

Demonstrate what students are able to demonstrate in terms of knowledge, skills and abilities:

▪ Cognitive Learning and Affective Learning

▪ Kinesthetic Learning

Comprised of three components:• Student Learning Behavior

• Assessment Method

• Criteria for Success

Components of Learning

Outcomes

▪ Student Learning Behavior▪ Students will be able to….

▪ Assessment Methods▪ Tools and techniques used to determine the

extent to which the student learning outcomes are achieved

▪ Direct measure of learning: exams, portfolios, performance of a skill

Components of Learning

Outcomes

▪ Criteria for Success or Desired Performance Criteria

• Students will be able to ___ as exhibited by _____

▪ Scoring Rubric that identifies critical components of the work and discriminates differing levels of proficiency▪ Students will be able to communicate effectively, as

exhibited by scoring at least 8 out of 10 for all the components within the grading criteria on the final writing assignment.

Creating the

Challenge Exam

Measuring Student Learning

– Blooms Taxonomy

Assessment Example

Utilizing Bloom’s Taxonomy

Taxonomy Level of Cognition

Knowledge of major ideas or mastery of subject matter 20%

Understanding, grasping meaning, interpretation 5%

Use information to solve problems using required skills or knowledge

25%

Generate or produce a product 50%

50% is Cognitive/Affective Learning50% is Kinesthetic Learning

Structure of the Portfolio or

Challenge Exam

▪ 50% is Cognitive - 100 Written Exam Questions

▪ 50% is Kinesthetic - Practical exam rated on a 100 point scale

Cognitive Assessment

Taxonomy Level of Cognition

Written Portion –Number of Test

Questions

Percentage of Questions for 100 Point Exams

Knowledge of major ideas or mastery of subject matter

20% 40 40%

Understanding, grasping meaning, interpretation

5% 10 10%


25% 50 50%

100 Point Written Examination/ 50% of Course

Ranking Learning Outcomes

Course Frequency

Outcomes Percentage of Quantity in Course

Number of Exam Questions

Learning Outcome A 30% 30

Learning Outcome B 40% 40

Learning Outcome C 20% 20

Learning Outcome D 10% 10

100 Question Written Examination

Assessment Rubric

Learning Outcome A

Learning Outcome A Percentage of Exam Questions as per Taxonomy Type

Number of Written

Questions


40% 12

Understanding, grasping meaning,interpretation

10% 3


50% 15

30 of 100 Written Examination Questions

Assessment Rubric

Learning Outcome B

Learning Outcome B Percentage of Exam Questions as per Taxonomy Type

Number of Written

Questions


40% 16


10% 4


50% 20


Assessment Rubric

Learning Outcome C

Learning Outcome C Percentage of Exam Questions as per Taxonomy Type

Number of Written

Questions


40% 8


10% 2


50% 10


Assessment Rubric

Learning Outcome D

Learning Outcome D Percentage of Exam Questions as per Taxonomy Type

Number of Written

Questions


40% 4


10% 1


50% 5


Using Assessment Tool to

Assign Written Grade

Learning Outcome A – 30% of Learning

Number of Written Questions

Mastery on Examination


12 10


3 2


15 14

30 26 86.7%

Using Assessment Tool to

Assign Written Grade

Learning Outcome Percentage of Questions

Mastery Total

Learning Outcome A 30% 86.7% 26

Learning Outcome B 40% 75% 30

Learning Outcome C 20% 90% 18

Learning Outcome D 10% 60% 6

80%

- Professional accreditation example

Final Grade

▪ Written Examination – 80%▪ 50% of grade

▪ Practical Examination – 71%▪ 50% of grade

(80 * .5) + (71 * .5) = 75.5%

Example from Northeast

Mississippi Community

College

Skills Check Off Example from

Northeast Mississippi Community

College

Given a steel ruler measure the following objects to the nearest 1/16th of an inch:

Object oneObject twoObject threeObject fourObject five

Given a steel ruler measure the following objects to the nearest 1 millimeter:

Object oneObject twoObject threeObject fourObject five

Skills were written around equipment and materials common to all of the programs laboratories

Example from Northeast

Mississippi Community College

Learning Outcome % of Class Number or questions as related to Bloom’s Taxonomy

Demonstrate calculations with decimal and Fractional numbers

40% 40% of 200 = 80 questions needed60% Knowledge (48)30% Interpretation (24)10% Analysis (8)

Demonstrate basic geometric and trigonometric functions


Demonstrate the use of measuring tools using English and /or metric measuring system.


NEMCC Challenge Exam

Procedures

▪ After the exam is graded, students that pass the written portion can ask to take the skills portion. Arrangements are made with the instructor.

▪ The instructor submits the grade to the Dean of Instruction’s office.

▪ The Registrar officially records the award of credit

Delgado Templates

Documents

DEVELOPING A COMPREHENSIVE RIOR LEARNING ASSESSMENT … · 2019-04-08 · DEVELOPING A COMPREHENSIVE PRIOR LEARNING ASSESSMENT (PLA) POLICY Dr. Darlene G. Miller, Executive Director